Not only does it feel like everyone and their dog (almost literally) are writing and publishing books, but the same goes for creating content about the craft of writing. Obviously, I’m doing these things, too. I’m aspiring and striving to be a successful indie author and publisher and, as an online writing coach, creating content for writers to grow in their craft.

But the more I get involved with writing communities, both in person and online, the more I realize just how many people are doing, more or less, the same things I’m doing or want to do.

Everyone wants to stand out, not just to be successful but also to help reaffirm they are doing the right thing. It can be disheartening to see so many people posting, creating, and talking about the same things you are because you wonder, “How will I ever be seen/heard in all this?”

While its clear many push through and make it big with these methods, its also imporant to ask yourself, “If I were never to make any money off this, would I still do it?” If it’s “no,” then maybe this is simply not the path for you. And if the answer is “yes,” I would highly urge you to keep going, just as I am.

You have to understand that even if a dozen people create a project about the same topic, each of those projects are going to turn out differently. I see this all the time as a teacher. You have some who really dive deep into the research and pull all the nitty gritty details out, others who use their creative expression to present the topic in a more analytical view, and some who cut every corner they can while still meeting the criteria of the project.

Who you are, the things you care about, the experiences you’ve had, and the way you express yourself will all come through your work and speak to people on different levels. There’s nothing new under the sun, and that’s totally fine.

Just because Strunk and White covered nearly every aspect of composition in the Elements of Style doesn’t mean everyone will make it through their dry text and get everything they can out of it. And even though John Green analyzed Lord of the Flies on his Crash Course channel doesn’t mean that he is the final say in analysis over that book (in fact, I disagree with him on many points in this video).

So even if there are dozens, or even hundreds, of people doing the same thing you are setting out to do, something that you’re trully passionate about, I would urge you to keep going. Don’t let the saturation of the field you’re in contribute to insecurities, imposter syndrome, or self-doubt (we deal with enough of that already as creatives). You are still creating amazing things, and if you stay consistent with it and stay true to yourself, people will find your work and fall in love with it.